Flashback of loss
by MusicalTB2
Summary: Set before Signals, how did the Tracys feel when they first saw the Zero X leave them? Young Tracys into present. Rated T and very fluffy, Virgil and Kayo pairing.


**AU: A prologue to ****signals and SOS **

Scott remembered the day their father left to rescue The Zero X vividly, his brothers were extremely excited about the mission, in fact they all were, and their father had told them all about the ship the day before to reassure them that the mission would be a piece of cake, his words, not Scott's. Among the good news, he had also told them that the reason he was going was down to sabotage, a word his youngest brother who was only eight at the time, didn't understand and Scott and his second oldest brother Virgil had exchanged looks of worry at each other, but again their father had told them he was experienced in dealing with plane hijackers and to trust him. The day arrived where Jeff would be taking off for the States in his private jet and his sons gathered in the lounge, Scott stood stiff lipped watching as his brothers got hugged in turn, tears and smiles were shed then his father stood in front of him looking down as he was yet to have a growth spurt.

"Look after them Scott, I'll be home as soon as possible, can you do that for me son?"

Scott nodded swallowing the lump in his throat as he heard Alan whimper, "yes sir, come home soon though."

Jeff ruffled Scott's hair then turned away pausing to kiss Grandma's cheek, "goodbye mother, I'll be home soon."

Later that day, their aunt Casey, who was a GDF soldier, shared her mission footage of the Zero X in flight, the boys watched eagerly in the lounge as they heard her exclaim that Jeff's arrival was a miracle and Scott grinned as Alan and Gordon cheered loudly in their young voices, but happiness soon changed to anxious as the plane sped up and Jeff's communication was cut, an escape pod soared up into the sky and Virgil gripped Scott's arm, the next thing they saw was the Zero X blowing up in front of their eyes and Casey's voice delivering the worst news possible.

"Jeff! Please respond! He's, gone."

Alan burst into tears and threw himself into Scott's arms, the eldest instinctively held tight to his eight-year-old brother but tears flowed down his own face, "Grandma?" His voice was choked in trapped sobs and the now parent figure in his life looked across at him as she wrapped her arms around eleven-year-old John.

Grandma blinked and tears trickled down her face, "he didn't make it."

Virgil shook his head angrily, "no! I don't believe that, he can't be gone Grandma, he can't!"

Scott stared ahead at the empty space where the mission report had been projected, "Virgil, he's gone, dad has gone."

Eight years later, Jeff still wasn't home and it was approaching Scott's birthday, he was turning twenty five without his father again, his father hadn't even been there for his eighteenth or twenty first, as he rounded the corner into the lounge he walked into Alan who stumbled backwards, with fast reflexes his youngest brother dodged out of a fall then frowned angrily.

"Watch where you're going Scott, were you even looking?"

Scott narrowed his eyes, "of course I was."

The sixteen-year-old pouted, "sure you were."

Scott sighed, "I'm sorry, I have a lot on my mind."

Virgil leant on his elbow from where he was sat at the piano, he had seen the collision and knew exactly what was bothering his eldest, "Scott, can we talk?"

Scott rested his hand on Alan's shoulder then nodded, "sure. Sorry Alan."

"Meh, no big deal, see ya!"

Scott walked round to the grand piano and rested his arms on the lid, "it's my birthday soon."

"I know, we haven't forgotten, unlike the time you guys forgot mine," Virgil smirked then frowned as his brother didn't return it, "you're missing dad, aren't you?"

"Not a day goes by when I don't miss him, Virgil, but..."

"Whenever we have a birthday the pain is worse huh?" Virgil nodded as Scott sighed, his brother nodded, "I stand by what I said when I was ten, he's not gone."

"We saw the explosion Virgil, stop it! Dad is gone, and there's nothing I could do to save him, nothing."

Virgil looked down at the piano keys and ran a finger across the surface of the keys, "sorry."

"Don't be," Scott's voice was cracked and he moved round to the stool, he wrapped his arms around the pianist until his brother's head rested on his shoulder, "that was insensitive of me."

"If I let myself go Scott, I won't be able to stop," Virgil sighed as he hid his face against Scott's shirt, "I remember that day as vividly as you do."

Scott's hand moved to Virgil's head and gently stroked the back of his brother's hair, "I know, I just can't believe I didn't hug him goodbye, I wanted to be tough in front of you guys."

"Oh Scott," Virgil smiled, "you did say goodbye, it would've been worse if you hadn't said anything at all, the way we never got to say goodbye to mum. That's why I always make sure to talk to you guys on missions and before we leave the danger zone, just in case," he turned to face the keys again, "but we're not going anywhere."

Scott listened to his brother play beside him and smiled before standing up from the stool, "thanks Virgil."

Virgil looked over his shoulder as Scott walked away, "it's what I'm here for."

Kayo entered the lounge, "Scott is looking a little flustered, is he alright?"

Virgil nodded, "as ok as Scott usually is."

Kayo leant back against the piano keys facing him blocking the top octaves, "don't lie to me, I can see through them. Now, what's up?"

Virgil rested his hands on his knees, "well I suppose, since you're blocking my composition, he's depressed about his upcoming birthday."

"Ah, your father's disappearance too?"

Virgil nodded, "he's already broken down once today."

"As have you," she reached out and traced a tear track down his face, "I don't miss anything."

"That was a day I wish had never happened, to watch your father die miles away from you is something you can't ever get over."

"The Zero X disappeared, you don't know if it blew up or not."

"It certainly looked like it did," Virgil frowned at her, "I don't want to believe he's gone but I don't think I can keep up hope, Kayo."

Kayo looked at him sadly, a man so bulked out now looking like he could curl into nothing on the piano stool, "you have to, because I do, other than my own father he is as close to me as a second father," she smiled, "I'll find him myself if I have to."

Virgil reached out to her and she took his hand smiling when he pulled her onto his knee, "I knew there was reason I fell in love with you."

"Oh, only one?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Your determination is a contributing feature, among other things like looks and fighting skills," Virgil gazed into her hazel green eyes and his heart squeezed.

"It's amazing how many people don't say those things about me, apart from the fighting."

"I find that hard to believe," he nibbled her ear gently, "you're the kindest girl I've ever known."

"Play for me Virgil," she moved back against him and he placed his hands on the keys on either side of her resting his chin on her shoulder.

Gordon walked into the lounge whistling and groaned seeing the couple, "why do I always walk in on this?"

Kayo rolled her eyes as Virgil played, "get lost Gordon."

"That's not very nice, I was only coming to tell you I've just seen Scott crying on the beach, that's all," Gordon sighed, "it's about dad isn't it?"

Virgil stopped playing and Kayo stood up, "yes, it's coming up to nine years without him."

Gordon nodded, "I knew what had happened, but I didn't understand why everyone was crying, I thought he had just left the atmosphere or something," he shrugged.

Kayo gasped and threw her arms around him, "maybe that's exactly what happened! I'm going to find Brains!"

"Guys, we have a situation," John's hologram appeared above the table, "I've just received a distress call on loop. What do you think?" Scott sprinted into the room.

"A mission John?" He asked a little out of breath.

"Not sure yet, tell me what you think of this?" John pressed play on the call and looked round at his siblings as it rang around the room.

_"__Emergency, emergency, situation critical."_


End file.
